The present invention generally is related to pressure testing. More specifically, the present invention is related to an apparatus and method for pressure testing fiber optic systems that are to be used in high pressure environments, such as undersea.
Pressure testing of a container is typically performed by pressurizing the inside of the container with, for example, a liquid such as water or a gas and then detecting any leaks outside the container. This type of testing replicates an environment where the inside of the container is at a higher pressure than the pressure of the environment where the container is typically located.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,487 issued to Dooley, describes a pressure testing system where a container is immersed in water and then the inside of the container is pressurized. Acoustic events are recorded by sensors fixed either to the wall of the container or to the walls of the water-holding vessel. Acoustic event measurements indicate the position of the leak in the pressurized container.
Where a container is typically located in an environment having a higher pressure than the pressure inside the container, however, pressure testing can more effectively replicate the environment by pressurizing the outside of the container and detecting any leaks inside the container. For example, a container located in an undersea environment will be subject to substantially higher pressure than the pressure inside the container where the container was sealed at a typical atmospheric pressure.
Known systems for pressure testing at high pressures are typically dimensioned to correspond to the object to be tested. If the pressure testing system does not correspond to the dimensions of the object to be tested, an excessive amount of time (e.g., hours) can be required to obtain the high pressures needed to perform the pressure testing. Because various object sizes may need to be tested, difficulty exists in using a pressure testing system dimensioned for one object to test objects of other dimensions.